AMERICAblog NewsAMERICAblog Newshttp://americablog.com
A great nation deserves the truth // One of America's top progressive sites for news and opinionThu, 24 May 2018 17:49:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.6http://www.AMERICAblog.comhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1xQeOPE9ePU/ScWid4bsU-I/AAAAAAAADVQ/FTit0ViINwA/s400/apple-touch-icon.pngAmericabloghttps://feedburner.google.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.Sarah Kendzior on how the media enables the Trump kleptocracyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/ZD3xCY-MD5o/sarah-kendzior-on-how-the-media-enables-the-trump-kleptocracy.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/sarah-kendzior-on-how-the-media-enables-the-trump-kleptocracy.html#respondThu, 24 May 2018 17:49:33 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144432Author Sarah Kendzior (“The View from Flyover Country”) talks to us about how the media continues to enable Donald Trump, and how they/we can more effectively confront the Trump “kleptocracy.” Here is an 18-minute clip from today’s UnPresidented podcast interview with Sarah: Sarah is an expert on the former Soviet republics (also known as the […]

]]>Author Sarah Kendzior (“The View from Flyover Country”) talks to us about how the media continues to enable Donald Trump, and how they/we can more effectively confront the Trump “kleptocracy.”

Here is an 18-minute clip from today’s UnPresidented podcast interview with Sarah:

Sarah is an expert on the former Soviet republics (also known as the “stans”), and she also provided an interesting comparison of the Trump autocracy with the modern-day dictators of the former Soviet Union — and she talked about how lessons-learned from challenging those dictators could be used to confront Trump. We also had an lengthy discussion about political hagiography, and the importance of not treating politicians, of either party, as gods. And finally, we wrap up with a discussion about the North Korea fiasco, and then Sarah’s book. Overall, just a great talk. Sarah is simply fascinating. We know you’ll enjoy this one. (Photo credit: C-Span.)

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/one-of-the-funniest-trump-videos-ever.htmlRussia swung the election to Trumphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/zw1xHfVLl18/russia-swung-the-election-to-trump.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/russia-swung-the-election-to-trump.html#respondWed, 23 May 2018 14:17:02 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144418Former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, finally admitted what most of us already suspected: Donald Trump didn’t really win the election, Russia did. In his new memoir, “Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a Life in Intelligence,” Clapper gives a scathing analysis of Trump’s victory (well, loss) against Hillary Clinton, and the role Russia played […]

]]>Former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, finally admitted what most of us already suspected: Donald Trump didn’t really win the election, Russia did.

In his new memoir, “Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a Life in Intelligence,” Clapper gives a scathing analysis of Trump’s victory (well, loss) against Hillary Clinton, and the role Russia played in the 2016 election. According to Clapper, Trump wouldn’t have won the election without Russia’s help:

“Of course the Russian efforts affected the outcome. Surprising even themselves, they swung the election to a Trump win. To conclude otherwise stretches logic, common sense, and credulity to the breaking point. Less than eighty thousand votes in three key states swung the election. I have no doubt that more votes than that were influenced by this massive effort by the Russians.”

The Russians swung the election to Trump.

And but-for Russia, Hillary Clinton would now be president.

But it’s actually worse than that. As Clapper notes, Trump has remained “aggressively indifferent” to the news, and then fact, of Russia’s interference. At the very least you had soft-collusion (my term) with Russia — Trump Jr., and Trump himself, making clear that they welcomed Russia’s help. And at worst, they were knowingly part of a criminal conspiracy to defraud the American people of one of our most fundamental rights, the right to vote.

Donald Trump is mortally afraid of the Mueller probe because he fears, rightly, that the growing evidence of collusion with Russia calls into question his electoral legitimacy. And he should be. Even had Team-Trump not actively colluded with the Russians (I think they did), Russia still got Trump elected, and Trump’s victory is still, thus, tainted.

It’s bad enough that Trump “won” by losing the popular vote — a metric that in nearly every country in the world would spell loss. But Trump won the presidency of the United States due to the intervention of a foreign enemy, and one he welcomed (“Russia, if you’re listening…”) Had Hillary Clinton been elected under similar circumstances, let’s imagine how that would have played out:

1. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell would have said from day one that Hillary wasn’t legitimately elected, and they would have attempted to block the swearing-in until the American people could find out what “really” happened.

2. Trump would have declared himself the winner, and the GOP would have rallied around him. They’d have even held their own swearing-in, and set up their own White House in exile, if not openly-challenging Hillary’s right to occupy 1600 Pennyslvania.

3. The Republicans would have stopped all legislation, and nominations, until the American people could be assured that a Russian spy wasn’t working out of the Oval Office.

4. It would have been non-stop “Treason” hearings on the Hill.

5. The GOP would have called for Hillary and Kaine to step down and be replaced by a member of the other rightfully-elected party (Paul Ryan).

6. And the electoral college would have been gone by now had two Democratic presidents in two decades been elected after having lost the popular vote.

And finally, if Democrats said “no” to any of this, there would have been well-orchestrated riots in the streets. Eventually, some in the Democratic establishment would have urged Hillary to step down “for the good of the country.”

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/russia-swung-the-election-to-trump.htmlStop Devin Nuneshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/kjZ9kI4wmd0/stop-devin-nunes.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/stop-devin-nunes.html#respondTue, 22 May 2018 22:09:35 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144415One of the most effective, and dangerous, Trump allies is House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes. Nunes, for reasons unknown, has put his career on the line — and our safety — in order to derail the Mueller investigation and save Donald Trump, to hell with finding out what Russia actually did to undermine our election. […]

]]>One of the most effective, and dangerous, Trump allies is House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes. Nunes, for reasons unknown, has put his career on the line — and our safety — in order to derail the Mueller investigation and save Donald Trump, to hell with finding out what Russia actually did to undermine our election. And he’s at it again.

At the end of this Nunes Update I’m going to ask you to contribute to the campaign of Nunes’ Democratic opponent, Andrew Janz. But first a bit more background.

NUNES LIES ABOUT UNMASKING

Now, you may recall that Nunes is the good fellow who in March 2017 ran to the White House to brief Trump on new evidence he “found” that Obama administration officials had “incidentally collected” and “unmasked” Trump campaign officials. In fact, the White House “found” the information, gave it to Nunes, who then held a press conference claiming “he’d” found it, and then Nunes ran to the White House to brief them on the information they had surreptitiously given him. It was all a huge scam. In the end, there was no smoking gun, and Obama official Susan Rice it was determined did nothing wrong.

NUNES LIES ABOUT HIS SECRET MEMO

Nunes’ next stroke of genius to release the much-ballyhooed “memo” about the FBI secretly surveilling former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page AFTER Page left the Trump campaign. Page, you’ll recall, had all sorts of creepy Russia contacts before and during the campaign, and the FBI was concerned that he was a Russian asset. In an effort to brand the entire Trump-Russia investigation as tainted, Nunes claimed that the warrant used to spy on Page — the FISA warrant — was inappropriately issued. We were told, falsely, that the warrant was based on the Steele dossier, when in fact, the Steele dossier was one small part of the larger presentation to the FISA judges (who were all Republican appointees). We were also told that the Steele dossier had been debunked — it hasn’t been — and that the dossier was the entire basis of the Trump-Russia investigation — it wasn’t. Trump-Russia began when Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos bragged to an Australian diplomat in London that a Russian intermediary told him the Russians had hacked emails relating to Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos and the Trump campaign didn’t even bother informing the FBI. Once the Nunes Memo was finally made public, all of Nunes’ claims fell.

NUNES LIES ABOUT RUSSIA’S ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Then Nunes, as head of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a “final” report on Trump-Russia, without interviewing scores of key witnesses. The “final” report determined that Russia had no intent on helping Trump win the election. In fact, everyone, including the GOP-run Senate Intelligence Committee, agrees that the Russians tried to help Trump win.

NUNES LIES ABOUT TRUMP CAMPAIGN BEING INFILTRATED BY AN FBI SPY

And now, Nunes is feeding Trump’s descent into paranoia by claiming that Trump’s election campaign was infiltrated by an FBI spy — it wasn’t. What happened was that the FBI, while investigating the accurate reports that the Russians had infiltrated Trump’s campaign, used an outside information to speak with the potentially-compromised Trump campaign officials to see what the Russians had been telling them. Ironically, the FBI didn’t want to approach the Trump campaign itself, lest word got out, and it appeared right before the election that “the FBI was investigating Donald Trump,” even though, in fact, the FBI was investigating Donald Trump. (Yes, you are correct, the FBI had no such concerns about publicly announcing, repeatedly, that it was investigating Hillary Clinton.)

So, Nunes started demanding that the FBI release the name of its confidential informant. The name finally did leak. That could have a number of impacts:

1. The man is ruined as a future FBI informant.

2. The man’s life could be at risk.

3. Future potential FBI informants are going to think twice about the FBI’s promise to keep their names secret.

4. And more on point, future potential FBI informants interested in turning state’s evidence against Donald Trump are going to think twice about the FBI’s promise to protect them.

And now, because of course Trump got involved, claiming repeatedly (and falsely) that the FBI embedded a spy on his presidential campaign, and demanding that the FBI investigate its own investigation, the FBI is having to sit down with Nunes and fellow House Republican Trey Gowdy on Thursday, where the FBI will provide access to secret documents about the information. No Democrats are invited. No Senate Republicans are invited. Just Nunes the Red and Trey Gowdy, who used to be nuts (he of Benghazi fame), but now that he’s retiring seems to have found a modicum of sanity, so Gowdy is the wild card here.

One additional benefit to Trump of all of this: Nunes can then brief Trump and his defense team, so they’ll know what information the FBI has on Trump.

WE MUST DEFEAT DEVIN NUNES IN NOVEMBER

As I said at the outset, Devin Nunes is Donald Trump’s most effective ally in Congress. Nunes has made it his mission — for reasons no one has quite figured out (is Nunes himself compromised?) — to derail Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation. And we need to make it our mission to defeat Devin Nunes at the ballot box in November.

One thing folks need to understand about elections. Yes, we need to vote on election day. But we also need to get involved NOW to ensure that Democrats win and Republicans lose in November. That means donating to good progressives who are taking on bad Republicans, like Andrew Janz taking on Devin Nunes. They need your support now — not ten days before the election, now. Andrew Janz is a great progressive taking on a god-awful Trump-Republican. In addition to be no fan of treason, Andrew Janz is pro-choice, pro-immigration, pro-healthcare, pro-Dreamers and pro-DACA, pro- gun control and pro-education. And Janz is giving Nunes a run for his money. Please donate and support Janz’s campaign now.

STOPPING TRUMP STARTS WITH STOPPING THE GOP CONGRESS

As Devin Nunes’ interference makes clear, one of the best ways to stop Trump is by stopping his enablers in Congress. By getting rid of Devin Nunes, and taking back the House and possibly even the Senate, we not only stop people like Nunes from running interference for Trump, we also take over the reins of power, and the subpoena power that comes with it. That means that every Trump-related controversy that arises — from his ongoing graft, to his leaks of classified info to the Russians, to, most importantly, his election collusion with Russia, the Saudis, the Emiratis and more — all of that can and will be investigated by Democratic-run congressional committees. But that will only happen if we win. And we will only win if you help.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/stop-devin-nunes.htmlGOP campaign consultant John Weaver on John McCain & the GOP Stockholm Syndrome under Trumphttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/F3Z-JFRjhy0/gop-campaign-consultant-john-weaver-on-john-mccain-the-gop-stockholm-syndrome-under-trump.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/gop-campaign-consultant-john-weaver-on-john-mccain-the-gop-stockholm-syndrome-under-trump.html#respondMon, 21 May 2018 17:19:15 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144410John Weaver is a longtime GOP presidential campaign manager (McCain 2000 & 2008 (for part of the campaign), Huntsman 2012, Kasich 2016) who, rare among campaign operatives, also nearly worked for the Democrats in the 2000s. A vocal Never-Trumper, John spoke to us today about John McCain and the “Stockholm Syndrome” grasp that Donald Trump […]

]]>John Weaver is a longtime GOP presidential campaign manager (McCain 2000 & 2008 (for part of the campaign), Huntsman 2012, Kasich 2016) who, rare among campaign operatives, also nearly worked for the Democrats in the 2000s.

A vocal Never-Trumper, John spoke to us today about John McCain and the “Stockholm Syndrome” grasp that Donald Trump has on today’s Republican party. John also talked to us about just how rare it is for a presidential campaign to have any foreign contacts at all, let alone the 75 contacts with Russians that Donald Trump’s campaign had, and then hid. We also talked to John about impeachment, which he favors if Mueller catches Trump with the goods, and his views of Karl Rove and Matt Schlapp. After John left, Cliff and I discuss North Korea, and Trump’s meltdown this weekend over his delusion that the FBI “infiltrated” his 2016 presidential campaign (they didn’t).

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/gop-campaign-consultant-john-weaver-on-john-mccain-the-gop-stockholm-syndrome-under-trump.htmlIt’s time for a somber national discussion about [INSERT LATEST MASS SHOOTING HERE]http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/O_QKtc5H0IQ/its-time-for-a-somber-national-discussion-about-insert-latest-mass-shooting-here.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/its-time-for-a-somber-national-discussion-about-insert-latest-mass-shooting-here.html#respondFri, 18 May 2018 15:39:06 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144407This story, first published years ago, was inspired by some American mass-shooting long-forgotten. Sadly, we are forced to republish it on a regular basis. It’s time to have a somber national discussion about the [insert shooting tragedy here] tragedy. Before we get started, let’s go over a few basic ground rules. 1. In the wake of […]

]]>This story, first published years ago, was inspired by some American mass-shooting long-forgotten. Sadly, we are forced to republish it on a regular basis.

It’s time to have a somber national discussion about the [insert shooting tragedy here] tragedy.

Before we get started, let’s go over a few basic ground rules.

1. In the wake of the __________ tragedy, it’s time for us all to come together as a nation and not assign blame. This is not the time, for example, to talk about how it’s easier to purchase a gun in America than it is to vote, or buy French cheese. I fact-checked the graphic below, it’s for real:

GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan was true to for: “[Now] is not the time to jump to some conclusion [on legislation].”

Then there’s Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “The only person with blood on their hands is the shooter. This isn’t a time for us to go after individuals or organizations.”

2. And we won’t tolerate any second guessing of the Second Amendment right to carry assault weapons, or questions about how the Framers could have possibly envisaged an assault rifle over 200 years ago, or why a “hunter” needs six thousand rounds of ammunition, or kevlar, or smoke grenades to kill a pheasant.

Open -carry gun owner at JC Penney store in Utah. What could possibly go wrong?

3. While the shooter may have been inspired by political fliers showing the victim in cross hairs, or may have come unhinged by inflammatory rhetoric about how said victim was coming for the shooter’s guns, discussing such motivation at this sensitive moment would be completely inappropriate. Not to mention, disrespectful to the __________ victims.

Sarah Palin showed US Rep. Gabby Giffords’ district in crosshairs shortly before Giffords was shot in the head and nearly killed in an assassination attempt.

4. If the tragedy involved someone flying a plane into a government building, or for that matter blowing up a government building, now is not the time to discuss people like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Donald Trump (no names, please), or Republicans generally (no political parties, please), incessantly trying to convince their audience that any government official, agency, or entire branch of government is evil and/or “un-American” and/or out to get them or our country or our freedom.

Sure, it would be entirely understandable why someone would take up arms against a Soviet takeover of the United States, but a Democrat said something mean once about a Republican’s dog, or something, so aren’t both parties really to blame, thus making the charge moot?

6. Never, ever mention the NRA. Sure, they’ve proven themselves, time and again, incapable of passing laws that effectively keep guns out of the hands of crazy mass murderers, but that’s no reason to blame them for the _______ tragedy because it’s just too early to cast blame on anyone other than the shooter, who was obviously crazy, and thus this month’s anomaly.

Now, let’s discuss for a moment the race of the shooter and the race of the victims.

7. If the ______________ tragedy involved angry white men opening fire on brown people of faith, this is definitely not the time to replay clips of bombastic commentators and politicians getting white men in places like Kansas whipped into a frenzy over Manhattan’s zoning criteria for non-Christian houses of worship.

8. But feel free to discuss if all brown people, and thus the shooter, or his victims, were Muslims – sorry, I meant to say “radical Islamists.” And even if neither was a Muslim, make sure you discuss that point incessantly – Muslim, Muslim, Muslim, Muslim – so as to eventually sow suspicion in the public’s mind as to whether there really is a Muslim angle to this story.

9. Speaking of which, this is not the time to discuss the more general fear mongering around words like “Muslim,” including the ongoing, successful, attempt by Republicans to convince their base that our dark-skinned former President is one.

Okay, I think we’re ready now to discuss the ______________ tragedy.

First off: It is entirely acceptable for a Republican to opine that the tragedy could have been averted had the victims all been armed (please disregard previous tragedies where armed police officers, or members of the military, were themselves injured by the shooter).

Second: Poignant, but ultimately meaningless, gestures such as lighting tragedy candles at nighttime vigils, and posting anti-gun petitions on Change.org, are to be encouraged.

Finally: Clutch your pearls, and all together now, ask the purely rhetorical question: “How could this happen?”

Forty-eight hours after the shooting, return to talking about Trump’s tweets and the latest Kardashian wedding until the next shooting occurs, then refer to point 1 above.

PS: If the victims of the ___________tragedy were black, ignore the above restrictions and take up a collection for the shooter’s defense fund.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/its-time-for-a-somber-national-discussion-about-insert-latest-mass-shooting-here.htmlGuest Ohio Democratic party chair David Pepper on gerrymandering reform & his time with Putinhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/atjeaQXQbQo/guest-ohio-democratic-party-chair-david-pepper-on-gerrymandering-reform-his-time-with-putin.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-ohio-democratic-party-chair-david-pepper-on-gerrymandering-reform-his-time-with-putin.html#respondThu, 17 May 2018 17:17:17 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144402Cliff and I talk with Ohio Democratic party chair David Pepper. Our discussion includes: Ohio’s recent successful gerrymandering reform; David’s extensive Russian background, the three years he spent working with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, and his impressions of Putin; Russian election interference and how the Ohio case sadly mirrors the confusion and disinterest that […]

Our discussion includes: Ohio’s recent successful gerrymandering reform; David’s extensive Russian background, the three years he spent working with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, and his impressions of Putin; Russian election interference and how the Ohio case sadly mirrors the confusion and disinterest that Trump is showing the issue at the federal level; about a series of Ohio scandals that should help Democrats in November; and more generally a discussion of key Ohio races taking place this fall. And finally, David talks about his new book, “The Wingman.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-ohio-democratic-party-chair-david-pepper-on-gerrymandering-reform-his-time-with-putin.htmlSupport LGBT hero Zach Wahlshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/Vke0T1Mz41o/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.html#respondWed, 16 May 2018 23:27:59 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144398As a straight college kid with two lesbian moms, Zach Wahls famously spoke out in favor of gay marriage before the Iowa House of Representatives back in 2012, when he was only 19 years old. Zach gave an amazing speech, you can check it out here. He then went on to lead a campaign, as a former […]

]]>As a straight college kid with two lesbian moms, Zach Wahls famously spoke out in favor of gay marriage before the Iowa House of Representatives back in 2012, when he was only 19 years old.

Zach gave an amazing speech, you can check it out here. He then went on to lead a campaign, as a former Eagle Scout, to successfully pressure the Boy Scouts to drop their gay ban. Zach is the real deal. He was there to help us when we needed him. And now he needs our help in return.

Zach is now running for the Iowa State Senate, and I’d like to ask you to support his campaign for a seat held by a Democrat who is not running for reelection. You can donate to Zach here.

Zach Wahls

If we want good Democrats, we need to elect them AND find them young, and get them involved in the political process early on. And they don’t get any better than Zach. I’ve gotten to know Zach over the years, and he’s an amazing young man who is going to go far in progressive politics. His top three issues for this race are health care, education, and workers’ rights. The primary is in just three weeks, and then the general election is in the fall.

No one is more deserving of our help than Zach. He was there for the LGBT community when most kids his age were worrying about final exams. Please join me in returning the favor by helping elect Zach to the Iowa State Senate. This guy is going to go far, so long as we help him. Please donate $25 or more to his campaign. And as this is a local race, your donation will go a LONG way — you can actually make a difference in electing the next generation of progressives. Support Zach now.

And do take a minute and watch Zach’s speech, at only 19 years of age, before the Iowa legislature. It’s still one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. I think you’ll agree.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/support-lgbt-hero-zach-wahls.htmlGuest Amanda Carpenter on how Trump is gaslighting Americahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/kAZG7cxyqzI/guest-amanda-carpenter-on-how-trump-is-gaslighting-america.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-amanda-carpenter-on-how-trump-is-gaslighting-america.html#respondTue, 15 May 2018 14:28:27 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144393Prominent Never-Trumper and CNN contributor Amanda Carpenter joins us in today’s UnPresidented podcast for a discussion of her new book, “Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us.” Among the topics: Trump’s birtherism; why the GOP fell for Trump and the importance of “the Flight 93 essay”; why Ted Cruz caved after […]

]]>Prominent Never-Trumper and CNN contributor Amanda Carpenter joins us in today’s UnPresidented podcast for a discussion of her new book, “Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us.”

Among the topics: Trump’s birtherism; why the GOP fell for Trump and the importance of “the Flight 93 essay”; why Ted Cruz caved after initially publicly challenging Trump; how the GOP prepared the ground for Trump eventual arise; how the GOP ostracizes Trump critics; whether Trump should be impeached; and still, throughout all of this, why there’s cause for hope (which Amanda still, amazingly, has). It was another really interesting interview, we hope you enjoy.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-amanda-carpenter-on-how-trump-is-gaslighting-america.htmlFormer FBI agent Asha Rangappa says Trump could never get a security clearancehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/yiaSbExT4BQ/former-fbi-agent-asha-rangappa-says-trump-could-never-get-a-security-clearance.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/former-fbi-agent-asha-rangappa-says-trump-could-never-get-a-security-clearance.html#respondThu, 10 May 2018 14:56:53 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144379Cliff and I had a wonderful chat with former FBI Special Agent and counterintelligence expert Asha Rangappa (whom you might recognize from her frequent appearances on CNN) about all things Trump/Russia, and then some, on our latest UnPresidented podcast. You can listen to a 14-minute clip of the interview for free below. After that, a […]

]]>Cliff and I had a wonderful chat with former FBI Special Agent and counterintelligence expert Asha Rangappa (whom you might recognize from her frequent appearances on CNN) about all things Trump/Russia, and then some, on our latest UnPresidented podcast.

Among the topics we delved into: just how much information Robert Mueller really has on Trump; Michael Cohen’s secret payments from American and foreign business, and that entity controlled by a Russian oligarch; Devin Nunes’ ongoing work on behalf of Vladimir Putin; the importance of the Steele Dossier; Jared Kushner’s ongoing failure to obtain a security clearance; just how much much of a security risk the entire Trump team poses; whether Trump himself could ever get a clearance (Asha says no way); Gina Haspel’s nomination to the CIA and how torture makes the FBI’s job harder; the leaks from the NYC FBI office during the election; what is was like being a woman at the FBI Academy; whether she has any political aspirations; and we even talked a bit about Quantico, the TV show.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/former-fbi-agent-asha-rangappa-says-trump-could-never-get-a-security-clearance.htmlCNN’s Jake Tapper on journalism in the Trump era & his new book “Hellfire Club”http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/SWdOYRArK5s/guest-cnns-jake-tapper-on-journalism-in-the-trump-era-his-new-book.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-cnns-jake-tapper-on-journalism-in-the-trump-era-his-new-book.html#respondTue, 08 May 2018 19:23:24 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144367CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins us in today’s UnPresidented Podcast to talk about his new book, “The Hellfire Club,” and the role of journalism in the Trump era. Cliff and I talk with Jake about the book, about the importance of journalists taking a stand when confronted with lies and indecency, […]

]]>CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joins us in today’s UnPresidented Podcast to talk about his new book, “The Hellfire Club,” and the role of journalism in the Trump era.

Cliff and I talk with Jake about the book, about the importance of journalists taking a stand when confronted with lies and indecency, about Jake’s personal interest in veterans’ issues, about Tamika Mallory and her embrace of Louis Farrakhan, and about Jake’s date with Monica Lewinsky way back in 1997 before the scandal blew up.

Here’s a quick quote from Jake talking to us about when it’s necessary for a journalist to take a public stand and speak out:

“Where I feel comfortable drawing a line is lies — calling out lies, some things are true and some things are not true — and indecency. I think that there are certain standards for adult behavior that we can agree on, such as: It’s important to not make fun of people with disabilities; it’s important to treat races, religions, creeds etc. equally, and not display prejudice; bigotry is offensive and wrong. Another example might be making fun of, or saying ‘John McCain isn’t a war hero because he was captured, and I prefer people who weren’t captured.’ These are indecent things to say. They are empirically indecent.”

This is a 6-minute excerpt of our 52-minute podcast. You can listen to the entire episode (and all our episodes) here with a $5/month subscription.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/guest-cnns-jake-tapper-on-journalism-in-the-trump-era-his-new-book.htmlTrump just lost Fox Newshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/JqnQbi97g8Y/trump-just-lost-fox-news.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/trump-just-lost-fox-news.html#respondFri, 04 May 2018 23:23:44 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144364Fox News host Neil Cavuto just excoriated Donald Trump, basically calling him a serial liar and suggesting that he isn’t just draining the swamp, Trump IS the swamp. For the rest of us, this isn’t news, but for it to come from Foxlandia, which is basically state television in the Trump era, it’s a shocking […]

]]>Fox News host Neil Cavuto just excoriated Donald Trump, basically calling him a serial liar and suggesting that he isn’t just draining the swamp, Trump IS the swamp. For the rest of us, this isn’t news, but for it to come from Foxlandia, which is basically state television in the Trump era, it’s a shocking rebuke of Trump from a close ally.

The question is why would Fox do this, and just as important, what does it mean for the future of the resistance against Trump and Trumpism. We also delve more generally into a discussion of Trump’s lies about Stormy Daniels and the fake doctor’s letter, and why they matter.

This is a 11-minute excerpt of the 78-minute episode. Premium patrons can listen to the entire episode, and support our podcast, here: www.patreon.com/posts/18607925

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/trump-just-lost-fox-news.htmlFox News excoriates Trump (must-watch video)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/5MstURBJBOk/fox-news-excoriates-trump-must-watch-video.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/fox-news-excoriates-trump-must-watch-video.html#respondFri, 04 May 2018 03:32:33 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144358Fox News’ Neil Cavuto just destroyed Donald Trump. It was unbelievable television. Cavuto, a reliably-conservative Fox host, went on for a good four-and-a-half minutes calling Trump (basically) a serial liar, and then accusing Trump of himself being “fake news” and “the swamp.” Trump is going to explode when he sees this. The video is below. […]

Cavuto, a reliably-conservative Fox host, went on for a good four-and-a-half minutes calling Trump (basically) a serial liar, and then accusing Trump of himself being “fake news” and “the swamp.”

Trump is going to explode when he sees this.

The video is below. But first, a few thoughts. I’m a bit blown away. This is unheard of from Fox, outside of occasional criticism from Shep Smith. But from Cavuto? This means that Fox-landia is worried, and that worry is now public, and trickling down to Fox’s viewership, via Fox itself. It’s one thing for the other networks to call Trump a liar and out of control, it’s another for it to come from Fox. A

And not only does this help spread the word that Trump is a mess, but it also makes it easier for other Republicans to speak up against Trump. If Fox News is doing it…

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/fox-news-excoriates-trump-must-watch-video.htmlTell Starbucks that homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism are bad businesshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/fLJU2WcEg4E/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html
http://americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.html#respondTue, 01 May 2018 18:55:03 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144348Starbucks just did it again. On the heels of the coffee chain’s racist treatment of two African-American customers, Starbucks is now embracing homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism. Please sign the petition at the bottom of this page (or here) and demand that Starbucks stop coddling homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigots. As you know, in response to […]

On the heels of the coffee chain’s racist treatment of two African-American customers, Starbucks is now embracing homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism.

Please sign the petition at the bottom of this page (or here) and demand that Starbucks stop coddling homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigots.

As you know, in response to a racist incident in one of its stores, Starbucks plans to shut down its stores on May 29th for mandatory anti-bias training. One of the groups assisting with that training was the lead civil rights group, ADL, which focusing on anti-Semitism, but has also been a longtime leader, going back decades, in the battle for LGBT rights, among others. The ADL, and America’s Jewish community, were speaking out on behalf of LGBT rights back when a lot of progressive allies were still squeamish.

Starbucks took the move in response to a demand from Farrakhan allies, and controversial Women’s March leaders, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour. Both women demanded that Starbucks drop the ADL. Why? Because the ADL took a stand against Farrakhan’s homophobic, transphobic and anti-Semitic bigotry. And that was a step too far for Mallory and Sarsour.

Specifically, the ADL recently criticized Mallory’s attendance at a Farrakhan speech where he praised her by name, and then went on to launch a vile attack on gays, trans people and Jews. Afterwards, Mallory refused to condemn Farrakhan’s homophobic and anti-Semitic bigotry, and the ADL rightfully took her on.

Mallory and Sarsour have now gotten their revenge, by convincing Starbucks to embrace their homophobia, transphobia, and anti-Semitism by dropping the ADL from the training, and sending a message to other corporate leaders that anti-gay, anti-trans, and anti-Semitic bigotry are acceptable.

Yeah, they’re really not.

To fully appreciate just how badly Starbucks stumbled, here are the recent Farrakhan comments that Mallory & Sarsour (and now Starbucks) are embracing:

Farrakhan attacks Jews, gays and trans people in one fell swoop:

The Jews, he proclaimed, are “responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men.”

On “white folks” and the “Satanic Jew”:

“White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God’s grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew and I’m here to say your time is up, your world is through.”

Evil Jews control the world

“After insisting that he’s not an anti-Semite but a ‘truth teller,’ Farrakhan suggested, among other things, that Jews are part of ‘the Synagogue of Satan;’ that the white people running Mexico are Mexican-Jews; that Jews control various countries including Ukraine, France, Poland and Germany where they take advantage of the money, the culture and the business; that Jesus called Jews ‘the children of the devil’; and ‘when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.'”

Of course, Farrakhan’s history of spouting bigotry and idiocy isn’t new. Here are a few more of his other “best hits” of years recent years:

“The Jews don’t like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that’s a good name. Hitler was a very great man.”

On AIDS being used as a weapon against black people:

“Another method (of depopulation) is disease infection through bio-weapons such as Ebola and AIDS, which are race targeting weapons. There is a weapon that can be put in a room where there are Black and White people, and it will kill only the Black and spare the White, because it is a genotype weapon that is designed for your genes, for your race, for your kind.”

And for added measure, Farrakhan thinks 9/11 was a “false flag” operation:

“Osama Bin Laden didn’t destroy the Twin Towers. that was a false flag operation to take the world’s attention away from the great disunity in America after George W. Bush stole the election.”

Who does Farrakhan really think was behind 9/11? Take a guess:

“It is now becoming apparent that there were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks. Israelis had foreknowledge of the attacks… We know that many Jews received a text message not to come to work on September 11.”

Louis Farrakhan is a virulent bigot. And Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour are bigots for not only supporting Louis Farrakhan and refusing to repudiate his incessant attacks on gays, trans people and Jews; but for using their status in the Women’s March to attack a longtime and legitimate civil rights movement like the ADL.

As for Starbucks, shame on you for pandering to homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism. You clearly haven’t learned your lesson that bigotry is bad business.

Please sign the petition on this page, and make sure Starbucks learns a lesson about bigotry that it will never forget.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/05/tell-starbucks-that-homophobia-transphobia-and-anti-semitism-are-bad-business.htmlThe Michelle Wolf controversy – Comedians Maribeth Monroe & Andy Cobb weigh in on the nature of political comedyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/87suaH9yzHw/the-michelle-wolf-controversy-comedians-maribeth-monroe-andy-cobb-weigh-in-on-the-nature-of-political-comedy.html
http://americablog.com/2018/04/the-michelle-wolf-controversy-comedians-maribeth-monroe-andy-cobb-weigh-in-on-the-nature-of-political-comedy.html#respondTue, 01 May 2018 00:57:15 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144343Comedians Maribeth Monroe and Andy Cobb join us to discuss the controversy over Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner. Maribeth and Andy (who are also husband and wife) give their perspectives as veteran comedians (Maribeth of ABC’s “The Good Place,” and Andy of Second City), and both speak more generally about […]

]]>Comedians Maribeth Monroe and Andy Cobb join us to discuss the controversy over Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner.

Maribeth and Andy (who are also husband and wife) give their perspectives as veteran comedians (Maribeth of ABC’s “The Good Place,” and Andy of Second City), and both speak more generally about political comedy, its goals, pitfalls, and relevance in the age of Trump.

Below is a 12-minute excerpt of the 75-minute episode. Premium patrons can listen to the entire episode, and support our podcast, here: www.patreon.com/posts/18515410

Cliff and I mention a number of Andy’s and Maribeth’s political comedy videos during the podcast. Here are a few.

]]>Cliff and I had the honor of interviewing US Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), a progressive hero who bravely and routinely stands up to Donald Trump and his growing cult of corruption.

In today’s episode of our UnPresidented podcast, we talk to Cong. Lieu about Donald Trump’s unhinged Fox & Friends interview, Trump-lawyer Michael Cohen taking the 5th, Paul Ryan firing the House chaplain for sticking up for poor people, Donald Trump’s “cabinet of corruption” (including Scott Pruitt and Mick Mulvaney), whether Donald Trump should be impeached and whether he’s a traitor, about the House GOP’s ridiculous “Diamond & Silk” hearing, and about how it is that Lieu has become so good at using social media.

“I think this makes Michael Cohen look very guilty. I actually do agree with Donald Trump at some level when Donald Trump previously had said, essentially you don’t take the Fifth Amendment if you’re not guilty.”

On GOP complicity with Trump:

“It’s pretty clear to me that most members of Congress know the completely awful nature of what’s happening because of Donald Trump.”

On a US Senate committee voting out a bill to protect Special Counsel Mueller:

“So you’re seeing that, at least among the US Senate, some of the Republican senators starting to break away from Donald Trump as he becomes increasingly unhinged. I think you’re going to see a lot more breakaway once Democrats take the House in November. I think you’re going to see the American normal folks react and say, ‘look we want a check and balance on the president.’ And until we have this inflection point, I think you’re still going to see most Republicans not do very much.”

On the GOP losing minorities and youth voters as a result of Trump:

“I also think the Republican party is going to lose a whole generation of minority voters who are either angry or scared by what they see coming from a Republican president. I think they’re going to lose a whole generation of young people. And I think it’s going to take a long time for the Republican party to recover from the Donald Trump presidency.”

On impeaching Donald Trump:

“The impeachment power is similar to the power to declare war, it’s two of the gravest and most serious responsibilities Congress has. It should never be our first option, it should always be our last. And I think it’s something we should do only if there are facts in evidence that absolutely warrant it. So i think we have to see what the special counsel investigation reveals. It’s gotta be something the American people are able to buy into as well.”

Trump’s “Cabinet of Corruption,” in particular EPA head Scott Pruitt:

“The taxpayers should not be on the hook for his paranoia. It also leads to ridiculous justifications such as him saying the reason he flew first class was because, you know, it’s a safety reason: Because the people in coach class might attack him. Let’s just think about this for a moment. You’re in an enclosed airplane. The notion that a person in coach class would attack him, but not attack him because he sits a few rows up in first class, makes no sense.”

Is Trump a traitor?

“That would depend on what the special counsel investigation reveals. It is pretty clear to me that Donald Trump has obstructed justice. He fired James Comey, and then he did the one thing that his attorneys would have told him never to do, which is to go on national TV and admit that he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation. That’s textbook obstruction. If you look up the obstruction statute — I’m also a former prosecutor — it’s very broad. All it requires is that you endeavor to influence a federal investigation with corrupt intent. He did exactly that by firing James Comey because of the Russia investigation.”

Does Trump have the best interests of the country at heart?

“You know it’s hard to know. I do know that he definitely has himself and his family’s interest first. So, every time he goes to Mar-a-Lago or one of his Trump-brand properties, he’s making money for himself or his family because his entire staff goes with him, security staff, press staff. And they’re paying lodging with your taxpayer dollars, buying meals with your taxpayer dollars, and it’s going to the Trump organization.”

About that “Diamond & Silk” hearing

“It was a ridiculous and stupid hearing. The whole premise of the hearing was to regulate content on the Internet. So, 1) That’s unconstitutional. But, 2) I don’t even know how you’d write a bill to do that. The federal government is going to go tell Facebook how to write algorithms? No. But it was a great opportunity for Diamond and Silk to get lots of air time and do their thing.”

On how he uses Twitter

“Humor and satire can reveal truth in a way that other forms sometimes cannot.”

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/04/us-rep-ted-lieu-donald-trump-has-obstructed-justice.htmlRonny Jackson is in serious troublehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/K560hbb-OIE/ronny-jackson-is-in-serious-trouble.html
http://americablog.com/2018/04/ronny-jackson-is-in-serious-trouble.html#respondWed, 25 Apr 2018 19:39:20 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144328By now you’ve likely heard that White House physician, and Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ronny Jackson, is in some hot water. A number of whistleblowers have stepped forward with claims that Jackson dispenses prescription drugs to staff with such abandon he is called “the candy man,” and that Jackson […]

]]>By now you’ve likely heard that White House physician, and Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, Ronny Jackson, is in some hot water.

A number of whistleblowers have stepped forward with claims that Jackson dispenses prescription drugs to staff with such abandon he is called “the candy man,” and that Jackson has been drunk on the job to the point that the Secret Service had to intervene to stop him from banging on the door or a female aide during one of President Obama’s foreign trips.

These allegations not only call into question Jackson’s fitness to be VA secretary, they also raise serious concerns about Jackson’s current employment as White House physician, his continued use of his medical license, and a possible military court martial.

Illegally-dispensing prescription drugs and being publicly drunk on the job are court martialable offenses. Especially when your job is protecting the life of the president of the United States. There is no margin of error in that kind of a commission. (Any normal service member would be in a whole heap of Trump for doing what Jackson is alleged to have done, so it’s almost – almost – not even relevant just high-level his job really is, other than its sets a horrible example for, sends an awful message to, the troops.)

Now, we don’t know yet whether these allegations are true. We do know, however, that there is no way this nomination should move forward, and it’s bizarre that Jackson has yet to remove his name from consideration. In politics, this is a no-brainer. Sometimes nominations get to the point where they are so damaging to the administration, the nominee, and their family, that the nominee simply must step down. Jackson’s nomination reached that point last night. Yet today, the White House is still vociferously defending his “impeccable” credentials, and Jackson has yet to do the right thing.

And that is pure Trump. I suspect that Jackson tried to offer pulling the nomination, and perhaps even his own resignation, but Trump said “no way, we’re gonna fight this!” But Trump’s ignorant and amoral exuberance is no excuse for Jackson going along for the ride. Anyone with a modicum of self-awareness and self-respect would have pulled their nomination and resigned hours ago.

In the end, the question confronting us isn’t whether Jackson should still be Secretary of Veterans’ affairs. The real question is why he still has a job at the White House and a security clearance, and whether he now loses his medical license, military commission, and freedom to boot.

Had a service member of lesser-rank stood accused of public drunkeness on the job while working directly for the commander in chief, sexually harassing a woman on the job and while under the influence, and illegally dispensing prescription drugs, they’d find themselves facing a court martial investigation.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/04/ronny-jackson-is-in-serious-trouble.htmlGlenn Greenwald is incredibly hypocriticalhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/L5HYr-Khwwo/glenn-greenwald-is-incredibly-hypocritical.html
http://americablog.com/2018/04/glenn-greenwald-is-incredibly-hypocritical.html#respondWed, 25 Apr 2018 18:10:22 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144324In today’s premium episode of the UnPresidented Podcast, Cliff and I have a frank talk about the hypocrisy we find with Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald went after MSNBC host Joy Reid hard this week for some controversial decades-old blog posts that Joy says she didn’t even write, whereas Glenn’s old blog posts about the scourge of […]

]]>In today’s premium episode of the UnPresidented Podcast, Cliff and I have a frank talk about the hypocrisy we find with Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald went after MSNBC host Joy Reid hard this week for some controversial decades-old blog posts that Joy says she didn’t even write, whereas Glenn’s old blog posts about the scourge of “illegal immigration” get a pass? We don’t think so.

Cliff and I discuss not only Glenn’s disturbing views on immigration circa 2005, but also more generally the nature of political sin: When should something you write be career-ending, and when should we look at the whole person, their whole record, and — God forbid — the “context” surrounding their alleged high crime.

We also have a short discussion at the end about medical marijuana, and John accidentally outs Chris Christie. (Oops.)

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/04/glenn-greenwald-is-incredibly-hypocritical.htmlPresident Pelosihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/7T_fEUUDVWM/president-pelosi.html
http://americablog.com/2018/04/president-pelosi.html#respondTue, 24 Apr 2018 20:09:15 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144320If Trump gets impeached, convicted and removed from office — and Democrats take back the House in the elections this fall, as currently expected — Democrat Nancy Pelosi could become president. How about them apples? In today’s UnPresidented podcast episode — snippet below — there’s a lot of focus on women: In addition to Pelosi […]

]]>If Trump gets impeached, convicted and removed from office — and Democrats take back the House in the elections this fall, as currently expected — Democrat Nancy Pelosi could become president. How about them apples?

In today’s UnPresidented podcast episode — snippet below — there’s a lot of focus on women: In addition to Pelosi and impeachment, we talk about the never-ending attacks on Hillary Clinton by the Republicans and the media; the lack of attention being played to a hugely important US House race in Arizona in which Democrat Hiral Tipirneni has a real chance for an upset in this traditionally-Republican seat; and another hand-holding snafu between Trump and Melania, who clearly doesn’t want to touch her husband with a ten-foot pole.

We also discuss Trump’s abominable behavior with French President Macron, and his embattled Veterans Affairs secretary nominee Ronny Jackson. Lots to unpack today.

]]>http://americablog.com/2018/04/president-pelosi.htmlNeera Tanden: “Trump acts like a traitor”http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/8GRRFUcBFWE/neera-tanden-trump-acts-like-a-traitor.html
http://americablog.com/2018/04/neera-tanden-trump-acts-like-a-traitor.html#respondWed, 18 Apr 2018 19:42:37 +0000http://americablog.com/?p=144313In today’s UnPresidented podcast episode, our guest is Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the liberal think-tank Center for American Progress (CAP). You can listen below. Neera talked to us for almost a full hour about Sean Hannity, James Comey, the 2016 election debacle, the Resistance, Democrats’ chances for winning the House in 2018 […]

]]>In today’s UnPresidented podcast episode, our guest is Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the liberal think-tank Center for American Progress (CAP). You can listen below.

Neera talked to us for almost a full hour about Sean Hannity, James Comey, the 2016 election debacle, the Resistance, Democrats’ chances for winning the House in 2018 and the White House in 2020, impeaching Trump, working with Never-Trump conservatives, CAPs work against Trump, and much more.

On James Comey
“He was fired because Trump was trying to limit the Russia investigation. My view of this is had he just said, ‘Look I made a mistake, I’m sorry,’ and moved on, it would have been fine. His own mistake was he rationalized his own decision, and there’s really no defense… He screwed up, he didn’t follow Department of Justice guidelines, he made his own unilateral decisions because of how he perceived politics at the time. It turns out he’s a terrible reader of politics and he shouldn’t have played pundit.”

“Comey was incredibly concerned about the political perceptions his actions would have. And how people would perceive what he’s doing. But the truth is, when you really unpack it, he only cared about the perceptions of the right…. He was shaped by the impact of the right-wing noise machine.”

On the Resistance
“We should remember who the resistance is, the new activists are really a lot college-educated women. It’s not just millennials, it’s not just ideologically hard-left. It’s a lot of, essentially, moms who are scared for the future of the country, for their children, and they’re getting involved in politics to take their country back.”

On how Liberals need to fight like Conservatives
“I think this is the asymmetric warfare that liberals and conservatives are engaged in every day. Conservatives are willing to use every tactic at their disposal to reach their political ends. And liberals are trying to be fair-minded in political discourse. This has some benefits too. We believe in good-government so that when we’re in government we’re actually competent. If this administration were more competent it would be far more damaging to the American people…. I think progressives need to recognize that we are in a street-fight for the soul of the country. We are not in an arm-chair chess match. We are in a street-fight. And we have to fight as hard as they do, and we have to use every tool that we can. We shouldn’t be evil, but we have to be really a lot tougher.”

On Trump being a traitor
“He acts like a traitor. My view of it is, I think it is beyond odd. I think it is very suspicious…. and evidence of some kind of Kompromat at play that on every issue Trump is an ‘America First’ person until it comes to Russia. It’s astounding on how every issue related to Russia he tries to be as weak as he can.”

On Impeachment
“[Trump] definitely colluded… If we find that Trump knowingly colluded to impact the election, he knew about Wikileaks or any other of the various strands in play, and then came into power. And then these actions to limit the impact of the government’s ability to effect Russia is because of this collusion, that would make him a traitor in my view.”

“I think that people [on the left arguing against impeachment] are making a huge mistake. This is really a legal question in front us. If Donald Trump has broken the law, I think he should be impeached. I think the Founders thought that if we have a president breaking the law they should be impeached.”

“If the special prosecutor makes a clear case that Donald Trump has broken the law, a lot of Republicans will recognize, just like eventually they did with Nixon, that they were in a fever-dream with a criminal. And I think that can also be a cathartic moment for a lot of people.”

On Mitch McConnell
“One of the many things that gave rise to Trump was the actions of Mitch McConnell…. I think what really gave rise to Trump is, a lot of people looking around saying ‘you know, I’m not doing so well, and Washington isn’t doing anything to solve it.’”

On being called a Corporate Democrat
“I went from being attacked as a communist and a socialist to a neoliberal corporate shill.”

On the importance of embracing Never-Trump conservatives
“Jennifer Ruben, David Frum, Bill Kristol. I have had knock-down drag-down fights with those folks during the Obama years. I had major battles on health care, and taxes, and the whole range of issues. But look, at the end of the day, if I’m going to argue to my friends on the left that we have an existential threat in front of us, and we could stop taking our pitchforks and sticking them into each other … I don’t need to agree with every one of David Frum’s views on the world to say that it’s important to have republicans make the critique of Trump…. Let’s eliminate the assault on democracy, and the impact of a possible traitor, and then I’m happy to argue tax policy with any of these people.”

Neera also discusses CAP’s role in the upcoming elections and the resistance overall, and CAP’s upcoming Ideas conference. It’s a really interesting interview, hope you enjoy.